For many years the use of plastic pipe in various plumbing applications and particularly in the installation of pools and spas has become commonplace. Plumbers and pool and spa installers cut thousands of lengths of pipe each day. The traditional way of cutting the plastic pipe, apparently because of its relatively soft nature, as compared with galvanized or copper pipe, is to merely use a hacksaw. Several quick strokes through the plastic pipe produces a cut. The hacksaw cut, similar to the hacksaw cuts in metal, produces a rough end surface which may or may not be normal to the length of the pipe and most significantly, includes burrs both inside and outside the pipe. These burrs must be removed in order to get a good joint and to avoid contamination of the system. Some plumbers and installers use a reamer of the type commonly used to deburr the interior of copper and galvanized pipe. Since plastic doesn't require a sharpened tool, sometimes deburring is accomplished merely by wiping the end of the cut with a cloth. This method of deburring is usually effective to remove the burrs, but often they fall into the pipe. Some plumbers and installers merely deburr using their hand by inserting a finger or fingers in the pipe and wiping the interior surface and by holding the end of the pipe in the palm of the hand and making a wiping motion. Many plumbers and installers can prove the use of this method of burr removal by the callus and cut scars present on their fingers and hands from the sometimes sharp plastic burrs.
Some types of pipe cutters have been evolved for plastic pipe similar to the rotating chopper pipe cutter which includes a number of equally spaced cutter wheels and a clamp member for tightening one of the two wheels. Such a cutter is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,485. Cutters of this type are merely manual, require two rotary motions in addition to a clamping and unclamping action. The movable cutter wheel must be tightened into engagement with the outer surface of the pipe, the entire assembly rotated around the pipe numerous turns with the cutting wheels bearing into the exterior of the pipe, the movable cutting wheel tightened further against the new groove present in the pipe and the process of rotation of the entire cutter around the pipe repeated until the pipe is cut through. This type of cutter has no advantage and usually has a bell mouth or lip and may not produce an interior burr but often produces an interior sharp edge, which if attempted to be deburred can provide mean cuts. This type of cutter is slower than one would like and requires significant clearance around the pipe and deburring or filing of the lip before insuring a good joint. Its use, therefore, is confined to new, unused pipe, and in most caes, cannot be used for cutting through an existing installation which is close to any wall or other surface.
Other types of plastic pipe cutters are illustrated in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.:
4,091,533 PA1 3,999,292 PA1 4,270,269 PA1 3,771,546 PA1 3,748,933 PA1 3,608,194 PA1 3,636,629 PA1 4,057,357
None of these fill my needs.